New Beginnings
by SpyMaster
Summary: The Cold Case Squad is called in when a man on a nearby Army base is murdered in the same way a soldier was murdered 24 years ago. Meanwhile, the team are having to cope with the arrival of two new team-mates. Spoiler warning: Series 4 Completed!
1. Chapter 1

**New Beginnings**

Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd drummed his fingers on his desk, he'd been doing that for the past hour, under normal circumstances he would have found it irritating, but these were anything but normal circumstances. Two weeks ago he'd lost a member of his team, DS Amelia Silver, Mel. They'd buried her four days ago, after the funeral Frankie, their forensic pathologist had handed in her resignation, she was transferring to a job in the metropolitan police lab, a big impersonal place, Mel's death had been too much for her. Now today the new members of the team were arriving, a Dr Carrier and a DS Highland, he didn't know anything about them. One thing was for sure though, the team was never going to be the same again. Boyd checked his watch, they would be arriving soon along with the two surviving members of his team, DI Spencer Jordan and Dr Grace Foley. He wished he had their personnel files on his desk, but they were being sent over and would be here this afternoon, he could in theory run them through the computer but in reality it was more complicated than that. The sounds of somebody arriving woke Boyd from his thoughts, he stood up and moved out into the main office watching the entrance door.   
"Morning Grace." Boyd greeted recognising his physiological profiler instantly. She looked at him, he could see the dark circles around her eyes and the frown lines, Mel's death had been hard on her, it hard on all of them, hopefully today they could look forward instead of back to the past.   
"Morning. The new people arrived yet?" Grace asked, while hanging her coat up, Boyd shook his head seeing movement again at the door. It was Spence, he smiled briefly at Grace before crossing the room to his desk, setting up for another day. Boyd checked his watch again, they were late, albeit by only a few minutes but late none the less, perhaps they couldn't find the place, they weren't exactly centrally located. Just as he thought he'd head back to his office and make some coffee the door opened. In walked a man, Boyd pegged him instantly as the new detective. He was tall, around 6 ft, with the physique of a born athlete, not someone you could stick in a laboratory.   
"DS Highland, I'm Detective Superintendent Boyd, the head of the cold case unit. This is . . "   
"I'm sorry, there must be some mistake." the man interrupted, "I'm Dr Ian Carrier, new forensic pathologist, not a detective." Boyd immediately hid his surprise and recovered quickly.   
"Sorry we have a detective also arriving today, I had bad information." Boyd covered quickly extending his hand. The man raised his eyebrows, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and very disbelievingly and with an obvious trace of contempt he replied.   
"Right whatever. So where's the lab? Is it here?" Grace held her breath, inwardly Boyd recoiled like he'd been slapped, outwardly he gritted his teeth and very politely turned to Spence.   
"Spence, show Dr Carrier to the lab please." Spence nodded and motioned for Ian Carrier to follow him. Grace let out the breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding, she'd seen people do a lot less to Boyd than that and get a rebuke they'd always remember, his anger management must be paying off. "If you want me I'll be in my office." Boyd told her before striding off, once he got there he placed both palms flat down on his desk and took a couple of deep breaths, _this was going to be an interesting partnership_ Boyd thought to himself when he'd calmed down.

"Spence, can you go and fetch Dr Carrier? We've got a new case." Boyd told him, Spence nodded glancing across at Mel's empty desk, the first case without her, the first case where she wouldn't be there to help him, how would he cope? How would the team cope? A minute later four of the five members of the team were assembled, DS Highland still hadn't arrived. Boyd crossed over from his office to the clear board, he stuck a picture of a dead guy up, with a yellow board pen he wrote the dead guys name and date of death next to it. "Colonel Zachrius Phillips, died twenty-ninth of February 1980. He was thirty-four." Boyd then stuck another picture up, a new one, writing the same information beside it. "Sergeant David Morris, died two days ago, the twenty-ninth of February 2004. He was twenty-eight. They both were killed by a blow to the back of the head with a blunt object. The bodies were then both mutilated." Boyd paused, "I haven't been told exactly how, because that was the link to make it a cold case. They're sending the body over along with the files, they should be here soon."   
"Has it been autopsied?" Ian interrupted, arms folded a bored aloof look on his face. Grace exchanged a look with Spence, if things were going to work around here they'd need to talk to Dr Ian Carrier.   
"No." Boyd replied, he opened his mouth to continue but Ian interrupted again.   
"I'll need to see the crime scene." Boyd bit his lip, this guy just didn't know how the game was played.   
"We all need to see the crime scene," Boyd snapped, "I'll arrange it. It's a little more complicated than normal because it's on an army base, one of the reasons why it took two days for us to be notified."   
"Well if that's everything, I'll go see about a body." without waiting for a reply Ian left the room, after a long silent moment Spence observed.   
"He's not Frankie is he."   
"No Spence he certainly is not." Boyd added.


	2. Chapter 2

Two hours later DS Highland arrived. Boyd and Spence were in the lab with Ian waiting for Grace who was in her office reading the last page of the file. DS Highland walked in nervously, first day and she was late, well it hadn't been intentional.   
"Hello." she called out, walking towards Grace's office. "Hello." she called out again, inside her office Grace thought she heard something. It was probably Boyd or Spence come to tell her to hurry up, she was finished anyway. She put down her pen and pushed the files neatly into a pile putting her scribbled notes on top before opening the door. Just as Grace opened the door DS Highland had raised her left hand to knock on it. Grace's eyes narrowed taking in DS Highland's appearance, before she introduced herself and they walked to the lab together. Boyd, Spence and Ian all turned when they heard the hiss of the door opening.   
"This is DS Laura Highland." Grace introduced, giving Boyd a glare which he ignored.   
"Welcome, you made it at last. I'm Detective Superintendent Boyd, this is DI Spencer 'Spence' Jordan. You've met Dr Grace Foley. Last of all Dr Ian Carrier who joined us this morning from the metropolitan police lab, he arrived this morning virtually on time. Right now we have a new case, the rest of the team have read the file, so you'll have to catch up. Dr Carrier carry on." Laura bit her lip, it wasn't her fault she was late, surely he could see that.   
"Right. David Morris 'the victim'" Ian added smiling at Laura. "Was killed as the earlier report said by a blow to the back of the head by a blunt object. The weapon is missing but I'd guess a wrench, you know like what you keep in the back of your car in case you have a flat. You bring me an object and I'll tell you if it's the murder weapon. Time of death between 1 and 3 AM, I can't be more precise than that. Now the mutilation is the interesting bit, there are two parts to it. First of all the heart was cut out and stuffed into the mouth of the victim." Ian pointed to a dish at the side where a heart lay. "Also on the right hand the middle finger was cut off, it was pushed up his anus. All the mutilation was done postmortem and by something as sharp as a scalpel, in fact I'll be surprised if it isn't a scalpel. Now the mutilation in this case was the same as before, but something they didn't mention or notice in the earlier report, perhaps it wasn't so then, is that the person who did it had surgical skill and almost certainly medical knowledge." Ian concluded smiling at Laura again.   
"What makes you say that." Boyd asked.   
"Point to where you think your heart is." Ian told him, Boyd some what skeptically raised his hand and pointed in the middle of his chest, Ian shook his head. "Wrong, it's slightly to the left, the left lung is slightly smaller than the right. They teach that in biology at school but nobody remembers, only people who do know are doctors and nurses."   
"Not soldiers. You know the marksman or snipers?" Spence asked, Ian shook his head.   
"I can see where you're coming from there, what with David Morris being a soldier. The heart is a very small target, if you need to shoot somebody and you want them dead instantly, you aim for the head. It's a much larger target and you can see it, the heart is hidden within your chest cavity which protects it very well, it would be impossible to hit. So they don't waste training on it." Spence nodded.   
"Theories Grace?" Boyd looked at her, before she could answer Ian interrupted.   
"I would have thought that was obvious."   
"Really." Boyd replied sarcastically. "Well tell us your theory then."   
"Gay-bashing with an additional motive." Ian came back undeterred. "I mean it couldn't be anything else. As for the additional motive, perhaps this guy had a cover girlfriend because being gay and in the army, well it used to be illegal and still people hide it so he had a cover. She found out and whacked him."   
"Grace." Boyd turned to her, Grace thought for a moment.   
"I agree with you he's probably homosexual, otherwise there would be no point and mutilation isn't something done lightly. As for having another level I agree there too, otherwise why the heart, it would normally be the genitals. Why a woman though? Like you said being homosexual used to illegal, some people still hold prejudice." Grace gave Ian a searching glance, which he understood, 'gay-bashing' was not the way to refer to it. "Have you any training in psychology?"   
"It was my minor on my doctorate, Forensic science obviously being my major." Grace nodded, that could be useful having another perspective.   
"Right now we have a crime scene to visit. The MOD want the crime scene usable as soon as possible so this may be our only chance. Outside ready to leave ten minutes." Boyd told them before striding out.

"What happened to you?" Ian asked Laura, while loading his gear into the boot of Boyd's car.   
"Car accident, some guy just had to be one car further ahead, spent the morning at the hospital. My arms not broken just badly bruised, it'll be fine in a couple of days." Laura replied, Ian thought she was understating it a bit, hospitals did not put peoples arms in slings for bruising.   
"And your head?" Ian tapped the place on his head where the gauze was on hers.   
"Likewise no lasting damage, no concussion, just a nasty bump." Just then Boyd, Grace and Spence walked out, Boyd obviously took the drivers seat, Spence got in the back with Ian and Emily. It was a short drive from the cold case offices to the army base, just long enough that Ian and Spence could fill Laura in on the details that were in the file. At the gate they were stopped by a barrier, the private in the guard hut walked across to Boyd's side of the car, Boyd lowered his window.   
"ID please?" the private asked, Boyd held up his badge which the private checked against a list. "Drive straight on sir until you reach the main administrative buildings, they're signposted, you can't miss it. You can park there, you'll then be shown wherever you want to go." the private told Boyd before he walked back to his hut and raised the barrier. A minute later they were there, an army sergeant appeared as if from nowhere.   
"Superintendent Boyd." the sergeant stated, it wasn't a question he knew who he was already. "If you'll follow me please. Sergeant Morris's quarters are just along here." Along here turned out to be the other side of the base, which to all of the team was a fair distance but to Ian with all his equipment it was a long way.   
"Bloody army bureaucracy." Ian muttered as soon as the sergeant was out of earshot. "Could have driven up here, but no it would have broken some stupid rule. Bet they didn't even let the forensic van up here." Boyd smiled, Ian was right they hadn't actually allowed it up here. An army photographer had taken the crime scene photos and an army doctor had ascertained the cause of the death and noted the mutilation. They were actually the first civilians allowed on base for this case. "Right take a look, don't touch anything, you know the drill, I'll just get suited up." Ian muttered more to himself than anybody else. A couple of minutes later Grace, Spence and Laura walked back out. There wasn't much to see in there, very little of personal effects, you'd expect to see more in a prison cell. They were private quarters because he was a sergeant, there were two doors, one to the barracks that he was in charge of, one to the outside world.   
"Getting suited up huh." Grace looked at Ian skeptically, he wasn't suited up at all.   
"Oh come on you've only been two minutes, besides you don't mind do you?" Ian held up the cigarette in his hand. Grace opened her mouth to reply but turned and looked at Spence who shrugged.   
"You're a doctor and you smoke, shouldn't you know better?" Grace asked trying to think of a way to reply.   
"Yeah I should, but even doctors are human, besides I started before I became a doctor." Grace nodded.   
"When did you start and how long have you been smoking?" Ian frowned, what was this twenty-one questions, a yes or no would have been nice, not that it mattered anyway.   
"I started when I was fifteen, I'm thirty-one now so, just over fifteen years." Ian realized. "So are there any smoking nazis here or not?"   
"Well not here. . " Spence started, Ian interrupted him.   
"Good." he then put the cigarette back in his mouth and took a long pull, Boyd walked over to him and took the cigarette from his fingers and dropped into his cup of tea which the sergeant had brought while they were in David Morris's quarters.   
"As Spence was saying, they're not smoking nazis, but I am. It's a disgusting habit and I don't allow it, when you're working for me you're working, no smoke breaks. You can take coming to work for me as an opportunity to quit, understand."   
"Yeah whatever." Ian replied flippantly, he hadn't been told off like this since high school, he'd forgotten how humiliating it was.   
"Now I'll take those." Boyd picked up the pack of cigarettes, "and put them where they belong, in the bin. Now suit up. Laura come with me." Boyd ordered walking off back in the direction of the administrative buildings.   
"Oh that's just fan-bloody-tastic. What is it with him?" Ian asked not giving them chance to reply. "You know what it doesn't matter, I get the job done."   
"Why don't you take his advice, this is an opportunity to quit. As a doctor you'll know you'll live longer." Grace suggested, knowing as she did so that it would be ignored, Ian was going to smoke regardless of what Boyd told him, the only way he would quit is if he decided to do so himself, even if he did it was a habit he'd had for half of his life, one he would have problems giving up.   
"I'll suit up." Ian muttered pulling a blue over suit out of his kit box. Grace and Spence exchanged a glance, they were going to have to talk to him.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Ian did was to take pictures of the room, it had already been done once with the body of Sergeant David Morris present, but the pictures hadn't been of the best quality and didn't show nearly everything that they should have. The next thing he did was to spray luminol looking for any bodily fluids that weren't obvious to the naked eye that he needed to take samples of. After that he ascertained that there were no visible prints before dusting the room with fingerprint powder to look for the latent ones. There were many, he noted grimly, most were just partial but he'd record them anyway. Once he'd done that he checked to make sure that by removing any of David Morris's personal effects he wasn't removing any evidence that he needed to take samples of. He then took anything he could out to where Spence and Grace were waiting for it. Grace would use it to help her form a psychological analysis of David Morris, they needed to know who he was to find out who the killer was. Spence would make up the inventory, a time-consuming boring part of the job, it was also necessary, cases had failed at court because they hadn't filled out all the proper forms. Ian then went back to taking samples, making a mental note to get the fingerprints of David Morris's unit, that would undoubtedly clear up most of the partials. Meanwhile Boyd and Laura were in the base commanders office, they didn't expect to learn anything from him, it was just protocol, as much a part of the job as the forms Spence was filling out.   
"It's just terrible, just terrible. He was a promising young sergeant, he could have gone far." General Mace told them standing by the window, he crossed the room to his desk, reaching in his top drawer he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "You mind?" he asked, looking for his box of matches   
"It's your office sir." Boyd replied biting his lip, the General had only asked out of politeness, whatever he said it wouldn't have mattered.   
"I've already been interviewed once, I told those detectives everything I know, I don't understand why I'm being interviewed again." Boyd and Laura exchanged a glance, they'd already told him twice.   
"A link between this case and an old case has come up. We're from the cold case squad, the link makes it our case." Boyd explained again, General Mace nodded still not understanding but not wanting anyone to know that.   
"Can you tell us what Sergeant Morris was doing on the day he died?" Laura asked, thankfully she'd been relieved of the duty of taking notes because they were getting a copy of the whole bases itinerary, this was just to fill the time.   
"At the moment we're undergoing a period of extensive training, increasing our readiness state. This means that if war is declared tomorrow we're the first battalions to be deployed. In a couple of weeks we'll start the stand down and another base somewhere will start training extensively. So at the moment, the bell rings at five-thirty to get the men up, they then go for a three mile run, after that they shower, change into BDU's and have breakfast. After breakfast they head to the range, practice their shooting. Then they clean their weapons ready for inspection, after that inspection they get their barracks ready for inspection, after that inspection there's lunch. In the afternoon there's an exercise, on that day . ." General Mace pulled out a book, running his finger down the page until he found what he was looking for. "Yes on that day D regiment were simulating an attack against B regiment. After the exercise we work out the scores, talk about where they went wrong, after that the men clean their weapons, shower and go into the mess, or if they have a pass they can go off base, Sergeant Morris didn't. Then it's lights out at ten, Morris was alive then because he and Captain Kennedy did the barracks inspections together." Boyd smiled to himself, they already knew that because of the autopsy.   
"Was Sergeant Morris well liked, did he have any enemies that you know of?" Laura asked, General mace shook his head.   
"Not that I know of, though you'd be better off talking to Captain Kennedy about that."   
"Where can we find Captain Kennedy." Boyd inquired.   
"He'll be commanding his company in today's exercise. Corporal Richards is outside he'll take you." General Mace stood up and shook hands with Boyd. "If there's anything else you need don't hesitate to ask, everybody is very anxious to get to the bottom of this tragedy." Boyd nodded in reply and then left the office Laura following.

"Captain Kennedy?" Boyd yelled struggling to make himself heard over the deafening noise of gunfire. They were in the observation hut, for the purposes of this exercise Captain Kennedy was dead, he was watching the progress of his company on the computer monitor or when they were close enough with binoculars. "Captain Kennedy." Boyd shouted for the second time this time tapping him on the shoulder. Captain Kennedy turned at once, giving them a quizzical look, taking in the civilian clothes.   
"Yes." Captain Kennedy replied guardedly, his eyes narrowed.   
"I'm Detective Superintendent Boyd." Boyd yelled holding up his badge. "Can we talk? It's about the death of Sergeant David Morris." Captain Kennedy nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He led them to the room at the end, where there were the referees and the people keeping score. As soon as he shut the door it was instantly much quieter.   
"This rooms sound proofed so the referees can concentrate." Captain Kennedy explained. "David was a good friend of mine, I'll help you anyway I can."   
"How well did you know him?" Boyd asked, reluctantly Laura got out her notebook and left handed started to make notes.   
"Pretty well, we've served together for six years. First as private and sergeant, then as sergeant and captain." Captain Kennedy replied.   
"Did you know he was gay?" Boyd asked, Captain Kennedy looked at him in shock.   
"David gay? Are you sure?" Captain Kennedy shook his head, he clearly couldn't believe it. "If he was he hid it well, when we all went out to strip clubs he came. He even had a girlfriend I think for a time."   
"Do you have her name?" Boyd asked hastily, Captain Kennedy shook his head.   
"No, I only saw her a couple of times, always in her car, she just to come pick him up and they went off base."   
"Do you know when you last saw her?" Laura inquired, Boyd looked at her, had she thought of something that he'd missed?   
"Er, let me think. I haven't seen her in a few months, last time must have been around Christmas, yes it was the twenty-seventh. I remember because I'd had the twenty-sixth off and he was leaving just as I came back." Boyd gave himself a mental reprimand, of course the people at the gate logged everybody in and out, they'd have the registration number and a name, it would just be a matter of finding the right one.   
"Did Sergeant Morris's unit like him? Did he have any enemies that you know of?" Boyd finished, this would be the last question, it was the standard question, the one you always had to ask.   
"Yeah his unit liked him, they had a lot of respect for him. As for enemies well I think you'll be hard pushed to find one, everybody liked him, he was a born peacemaker, settling arguments when they arose, one of the best soldiers I've ever worked with. He would have gone far." Captain Kennedy summed up.

Visit again soon for more installments of _New Beginnings_.


	4. Chapter 4

It was late by the time they got back to the cold case offices. Boyd went straight to his office and put his coffee maker on, before he went home he wanted to get started on the gate logs, otherwise it would take a couple of days to get through them all. Spence signed Morris's personal effects in the evidence room before going home, he knew if he stayed there to long Boyd would start him on the gate logs. Grace went to her office, she wanted to write down her observations before she forgot them, so she could finish compiling her first physiological profile tomorrow. Laura went straight home. Ian went to the lab, like Boyd he switched the coffee maker on, but unlike Boyd he expected to be there all night. He knew that the faster he got the forensic evidence ready the faster the real investigating could start. Most investigations leads came from forensic evidence, in this case there was precious little other leads to follow up, so the faster he got something to tell them the better. All the samples of bodily fluids that he'd taken Ian took sections of, he then turned the gas chromatography machine on. It was the latest version of the machine and would tell him what bodily fluid he was dealing with, whether it was male or female, it would even produce a computer graphic image of the DNA with all the information so he could compare other samples easily. Unfortunately it took a long time which was why he was sorting that out first, he could now compare the fingerprints of Morris's unit, Morris's and that of the company commander with the fingerprints he'd found in Morris's room. Hopefully that would account for nearly all of the fingerprints, though given how careful the killer had been about the evidence it might account for all of them. Ian yawned and checked his watch, before he started on the fingerprints he'd go outside and have a cigarette, it was going to be a long night.

"Morning." Laura smiled at Ian as he came into the room carrying a coffee mug and a file, he grunted in reply and took his seat at the table. Laura exchanged a glance with Spence and Grace, what was up with him?   
"Morning." Boyd greeted, looking at Ian, something about him was bothering him but what? "Dr Carrier your lab is waiting." Boyd pointed out to him, it was normal for a briefing in the morning, but in this case nothing new had come up, so there was no need for a briefing.   
"Well it's got nothing to wait for." Ian retorted finishing off his cup of coffee.   
"What about all the samples you gathered yesterday? Don't they need processing?" Boyd challenged, his tone of that you might use when pointing out the obvious to a six year old.   
"All done." Ian smiled tiredly. "Would you like my report? It has a number of interesting facts in."   
"That's impossible." Boyd stammered   
"If it was impossible I couldn't have done it." Ian told him mimicking Boyd's earlier tone. It was then Boyd realised what was bothering him about Ian, he was wearing the same clothes he had yesterday, he hadn't gone home, he must have worked all night. "Here's my report." Ian handed it to Grace. "As you can see there is one set of unidentified fingerprints. Semen two sets, one's the victims, one unidentified. He was definitely killed there, there was a blood splatter on the wall which is consistent with how he was killed. Now the most interesting bit, there were a few strands of hair, DNA says it was a woman." Ian looked at Grace, he'd always thought it was a woman, probably the degree of precision with the mutilation, angry men didn't work like that.   
"A few strands of hair doesn't prove anything, all it says was that at some point a woman was there, in fact it works against the woman being the murderer because of the length of time needed for the crime, there would be more evidence." Grace argued.   
"Not necessarily, as it says in my report, the way the heart was cut out shows medical knowledge and surgical skill. Surgeons are very clever people, they'd know all about evidence transferring etc. They have a ready supply of gloves and surgical garb . . "   
"If that's so there shouldn't be hair at all." Grace told him, Ian nodded smiling slightly, it wasn't fair really, he'd had all night to think about it.   
"Try this for size." Ian said less argumentatively, "This woman surgeon right, she has with her a surgical cap but she can't wear it to go past the gate, they'd be suspicious, so she doesn't wear it. She's got long hair, we've all seen it right, on the back of jackets, hair pulled loose. She get's there pulls on her cap, goes kills him, while she's in there some of those loose hairs falls off."   
"That is a big conclusion." Boyd snorted, "It could be interpreted many different ways, that is the most elaborate and far-fetched one, that just happens to fit with your theory, how convenient. Stick to what your paid for." Ian bit his lip, Boyd wasn't his boss he shouldn't speak to him like that. "And as for pulling all-nighters, I hope you don't expect the overtime because you're not going to get it."   
"Did it not occur to you that I was just trying to help. You've got nothing really to go on, so I was trying to get you some leads. Next time I won't bother." Ian spat. "Now I'm going to my office, catch some sleep. Knock if you need me." Ian then stood up and left the room, there was a moment of uneasy silence.   
"Boyd." Grace began.   
"When will your profile be finished?" Boyd interrupted as he divided the gate logs into three.   
"This afternoon, but . . ." Grace tried.   
"Good." Boyd then picked up one of the three piles and went to his office.

Twenty minutes later Boyd had to admit defeat, he couldn't concentrate, what was worse was the fact he didn't know why. He was probably just tired, after all he had been up late last night getting a head start on these gate logs. In his heart Boyd knew it wasn't that, he knew he was missing Mel. It wasn't the same working without her. Laura was ok, better than ok even, she had the makings of a really good copper, but she wasn't Mel. As Laura wasn't Mel, Dr Carrier, Ian, wasn't Frankie. He and Frankie had banged heads a few times, but nothing like this, this was all out war. Dr Carrier seemed to be deliberately getting on his nerves. Things couldn't go on like this, as it was only the second day he'd wait a week or so and see how it went, but if things didn't straighten out he'd have to suggest that Dr Carrier would be happier working elsewhere. In her office Grace couldn't get on either, this situation had to be sorted one way or the other now, otherwise it would pull the team apart Grace thought. Sighing Grace put down her pen and went back into the main office, where Spence and Laura were both working on the gate logs, like Boyd not acomplising much. Grace sat down at the desk she called hers when she had to work in here and looked across at Spence and Laura. Somebody had to say something, she just didn't know where to begin, Laura began for her.   
"Tell me if I'm out of line but, it seems to me that your all being harder on Ian then he deserves. I know that you all miss Dr Wharton who was here before, but I don't think he does. As I was replacing someone who died on the job I got some background, but most likely Ian didn't. He might not even know who he replaced, let alone that she left because she couldn't carry on here after a colleague died. Ian's not making any allowances for any of that because he doesn't know about it. You are being too hard on him. I'm sure that once you accept the change, we'll all be able to get along." Grace thought hard for a moment, she'd noticed that Boyd was being too hard on him, the problem was that they were too alike, both control freaks, both sarcastic, both gaurenteed to get on each others nerves. What she hadn't considered was that they were all being to hard on him, but now that Laura had said it she knew it was true.   
"Your right." Spence acknowledged, "We miss Mel and Frankie, it's not the same without them."   
"And we're taking it out on someone who only mildly deserves it. I'll talk to Boyd, if you'll talk to Ian." Grace offered.


	5. Chapter 5

Not long after Laura finally found Ian. She'd gone to his office but he wasn't there, she'd gone to the lab but he wasn't there either. She eventually found him outside the entrance smoking.   
"Bad for your health you know." Laura told him coming to stand beside him, leaning on the barrier with her good arm.   
"I know, I've been trying to quit for a month. I'm down from twenty a day to ten a day. This is my sixth already." Ian turned to look at her, carefully making sure he didn't blow smoke on her face.   
"Sixth since the day actually began or sixth since the day would normally have begun?" Laura looked at him, her eyes met his, she'd never seen such empty eyes.   
"Sixth since the day would normally have begun." Ian finished his cigarette, from his pocket he withdrew a small tin box. He opened the box and put the cigarette out on the lid before putting it in inside the box. "Cigarette butts start fires and litter the place, I'm not giving Boyd another reason to kill me." Ian explained, answering the unspoken question.   
"Yeah about that. There's something you don't know." Ian raised his eyebrow and snorted with derision.   
"What's there not to know he's a self-centered asshole."   
"That might be true but it might not be. You don't know the whole story. Why for instance did the person you replaced leave?" Laura asked, Ian shrugged clearly skeptical but willing to play along. "Why did I arrive the same time you did. Two new members at the same time in a five man team, why was that?" Ian shrugged again. "I'll tell you why. The person I took over from, DS Mel Silver, she died." Ian closed his eyes.   
"Jesus." he muttered   
"The person you took over from, Dr Frankie Wharton, she couldn't really cope with the loss of a colleage, transferred to the met main lab. Do you understand now?" Silently Ian nodded, reaching inside his jacket for another cigarette.

While Laura talked to Ian, Grace went to talk to Boyd. She knocked on his office door, he immeadiately looked up.   
"Grace." Taking that to mean she could come in, Grace came in and sat down opposite Boyd, before Boyd could ask why she was here Grace started to talk to him.   
"Peter, I want you to listen to me and hear me out. That means no interrupting ok?" Boyd narrowed his eyes but nodded his consent. "I know you think that Ian, Dr Carrier, is insensitive and annoying and not a patch on Frankie. That could well be true but he's not deliberately being insensitive, he doesn't know about Mel. As soon as he walked in here you both started to rub each other up the wrong way, and neither of you gave each other a chance since to make things right since. It can't go on, it's upsetting the whole team."   
"He really didn't know?" Boyd asked, Grace nodded her head, Boyd sighed. "I guess I'll give him a chance but he's got to stop being so damn obnoxious." Grace closed her eyes.   
"You know what I think the real problem is between you two?" Boyd shook his head "You're too damn similar."

That afternoon the team gathered in the main office, Grace had finished her report and the others had finished the gate logs, it was time for an update. Neither Ian nor Boyd mentioned what had happened that morning, Ian being almost painstakingly polite and Boyd, well being Boyd.   
"Ok. We've finished the gate logs. There were twenty civilian cars that entered the base, fifteen of them were driven by women. They all live in the area and they all need to be interviewed. However looking at the names, the most probable on the list are Helen Waters, Michelle Rodgers and Sandra Matthews. Laura, Spence, I want you to interview Sandra Matthews. Grace you and I will interview Helen Waters and Michelle Rodgers. They live in the same street." Boyd explained.   
"What can I do?" Ian asked. Boyd shrugged.   
"You can go with Spence and Laura to interview Sandra Matthews I guess, just don't get in their way." Ian nodded ignoring the disparaging end to the order and went to get his coat and meet the others out front.   
"See Peter, isn't it nicer when you two are getting along?" Grace smiled, Boyd just looked at her.


	6. Chapter 6

"Question, there isn't any possibility of David Morris's killer being a copycat is there?" Ian asked, twisting the wheel violently to avoid a collision with another car, "Roadhog." Ian muttered under his breath, Laura smiled admiring his restraint, almost as if he could feel her watching him Ian turned and flashed her a quick smile.   
"No chance, the mutilation was kept out of the press." Spence replied.   
"Right ok." Ian acknowledged pulling over to the side of the road and taking off his seatbelt. "Unless I'm very much mistaken we're here." Ian told them getting out of the car and heading for the house. Spence double checked the address before knocking on the door, a minute later it was answered.   
"Yes, can I help you?" Sandra Matthews asked, looking at the two detectives and Ian.   
"Sandra Matthews?" Spence looked for confirmation.   
"Yes." Sandra Matthews replied   
"DI Jordan." Spence identified himself holding up his badge, "This is DS Highland and Dr Carrier. May we come in please?"   
"Yes of course." Sandra Matthews stepped back from the door to allow them to enter before showing them into her living room. "What is this about?" Sandra Matthews asked sitting down in an armchair.   
"Do you know a Sergeant David Morris?" Spence inquired flipping open his notebook staring intently at Sandra Matthews.   
"Dave?" Sandra Matthews looked confused, "Sure I know a Dave Morris, he's based at Fen Valley Base." Spence and Laura exchanged a glance, this was undoubtedly their mystery woman. Ian stayed out of it, leaning against the wall near the door, technically he wasn't meant to be here but that didn't mean he couldn't make evaluations.   
"I'm very sorry to tell you this Mrs Matthews, but Sergeant Morris is dead." Spence told her, Ian watched intently for a reaction. Sandra Matthews eyes widened in shock and surprise.   
"Dave's dead?" she looked for verification, Spence nodded sadly. "What was it a training exercise? What?" She's not our perp. Ian noted instinctively, it was a big assumption and Boyd wouldn't like that, but he was sure.   
"Mrs Matthews Sergeant Morris was murdered." Laura told her as nicely as she could, it just wasn't a nice statement to tell anybody.   
"Murdered!" Sandra Matthews exclaimed.   
"Yes. Now can you tell us what your relationship with Sergeant Morris was?" Laura asked.   
"Of course, he was my brother. Well actually my half-brother but we were very close." Sandra Matthews explained.   
"Did you know he was gay?" Ian butted in staring hard at her, Spence turned round in annoyance and glared at him, Ian pretended not to notice. Sandra Matthews bit her lip.   
"Yeah I knew." Sandra Matthews admitted, "I don't think anybody else did though."   
"Did you know who he was seeing?" Ian continued, ignoring Spence's angry glare, he'd make it up to him later.   
"Not exactly. Dave was very . . secretive about it. I got the impression that he was a superior officer, and from what Dave said married." Ian nodded smiling slightly, that fit right in with his hypothesis and the other evidence he'd gathered to support it. Laura looked at him shaking her head slightly, they'd talk about this later.

Boyd and Grace were back at the cold case offices by the time Laura, Spence and Ian got back. Spence had phoned them to tell them they'd found the woman and that they'd fill them in when they got back.   
"Can I have a word?" Spence asked Boyd, he hadn't even bothered to take his coat off yet. Boyd nodded and gestured towards his office curious as to what this was about, sure in his mind that it would be something to do with Ian. Before they could get there Ian stopped them.   
"Wait a minute. Spence before you go tattle on me don't you at least want to hear the reason behind my actions?" Ian asked him, before Spence could reply Boyd sighed.   
"What did you do?"   
"I asked a couple of questions, questions I'm sure that Spence would have asked eventually. I'm just impatient. Besides it was all for a good cause, I've solved the case."


	7. Chapter 7

You've solved the case!" Boyd shouted in disbelief, "I don't believe you!"   
"Well all the evidence I've gathered together so far, is circumstantial, but I can prove it." Ian told them, a clearly shocked Boyd at a more normal level of volume said   
"Lay it out for us then."   
"Ok. Now you all know that I've been convinced from the start that it was a woman who was the perp. I, well actually Laura requested the gatelogs for the night of the murder. I looked through seeing what civilian women went through the gate that night, there was only one. Dr Maria Ford, a surgeon with St Thomas's hospital. Her husband is Air Chief Marshal Ford, he's based not far from Fen Valley at Green Valley air base. He was on base that night, he'd had meetings all day with General Mace and was we were told at the O Club. Except nobody remembers seeing him." Ian paused and Boyd took that moment to interrupt.   
"Is that all you've got?" Boyd asked incredulously shaking his head in disbelief at the audacity his new forensic pathologist was showing.   
"No, I went back to the other case. It seems the military never throws anything away, I got the gatelogs for that night too. Both Dr Ford and Air Chief Marshal Ford were there, though Air Chief Marshal Ford was a Lieutenant Commander at that time." Ian added.   
"That is a pretty big coincidence." Grace pointed out.   
"Yeah, it could just be a coincidence though if there wasn't another case."   
"Another case?" Spence frowned.   
"Yeah. Germany, 1988, Warrant Officer 1st Class Jeremy Bates. Same MO. Dr Ford and Air Chief Marshal Ford were there, that time Ford was a Commodore." Ian smiled, he had this nailed.   
"That's got to be more than a coincidence." Grace pointed out.   
"I agree." Boyd grudgingly added. "However." Ian closed his eyes and prepared to weather the storm. "You are not a detective, and going behind my back and using Laura to help you is even worse. Just because you might be right does not excuse your behaviour!" Boyd shouted. "Next time go through the proper channels!"   
"I tried! You wouldn't listen to me!" Ian shouted back, he was tired of putting up with Boyd and his domineering attitude. They were equals, it was about time he was treated like one.   
"You didn't come to me with this! You came to me with some half baked theory! World of difference!" Boyd yelled gesturing angrily with his hands.   
"By time time I'd got all this." Ian mimicked Boyd's gestures. "You'd shot down my theory so many times I didn't think it was worth it! So I waited until it was open and shut!"   
"It's not open and shut! You've got no real evidence now anyway!" Boyd shot back, Grace, Laura and Spence looked on, unsure about how to intervene and intensely uncomfortable with the situation.   
"You show what I've got to any judge with a bit of sense, you'll get a warrant! Two DNA samples and case closed! It's as simple as that!" Ian shouted, his anger rapidly dissipating as it always did. "Case closed." Ian added quietly. He turned to leave, he couldn't stay here right now, he needed to cool off properly and he sensed that Boyd would need some time as well. However Boyd interpreted the move as a rude snub.   
"Come back here! I'm not finished yet! Don't you walk away from me!" Boyd yelled anger flashing in his eyes. Suddenly Boyd heard what he was saying, it was like someone played the words back in his mind. He was speaking to Ian like he was a rebellious teenager, not a responsible and respected forensic pathologist, it was absurd. "Ian stop!" Boyd shouted after him, unwillingly Ian stopped turning round to face Boyd anger and resentment clear on his face. "Good work." Boyd told him, instantly the tension in the room disappeared as everybody sighed a sigh of relief. "Now let's go see a judge about a warrant."

Later that afternoon Judge Harper granted them a warrant. Spence and Laura went and collected Air Chief Marshal Ford and his wife from their home bringing them back to the cold case offices. As soon as they arrived Ian took the DNA samples hurrying back to the lab to test them. Boyd and Grace decided to interview Air Chief Marshal Ford first, Grace thought that he was probably the weak link.   
"Air Chief Marshal Ford, if you'd sit down please." Boyd gestured towards the chair on the opposite side of the table. As soon as they were seated Boyd began his questioning.   
"Did you know a Sergeant David Morris?" Grace watched his reaction carefully, upon hearing the name for a second he showed obvious recognition before he regained control of himself.   
"No I don't believe I do." Air Chief Marshal Ford replied.   
"Really. Then it won't interest you to know that he was murdered four days ago?" Again Grace watched his reaction, he obviously didn't know how to react. Disinterested because he didn't know the man. Shocked because it was murder. He obviously didn't know what to do. In the end he took the middle ground and looked not too shocked and a little interested.   
"Murder how horrible. It must be terrible for the family." Air Chief Marshal Ford commented, his reaction was perfect except it had taken him far too long to react.   
"Yes. Your wife is our chief suspect." Boyd told him aiming for maximum effect. Air Chief Marshal Ford looked completely shocked for a second, then he started to think about it and it made more sense. All this was clearly visible to Grace, the man wasn't a very good liar and could read like an open book.   
"My wife! Why for gods sake? What possible motive could she have?" Air Chief Marshal Ford tried to continue with the shocked impression but was yet again unsuccessful.   
"Well we think we know but I'm sure you could tell us." Boyd stated smiling knowingly at Air Chief Marshal Ford.   
"Yes it's no use trying to hide the truth. The DNA sample that Dr Carrier took when you arrived will prove it conclusively anyway." Grace added, Air Chief Marshal Ford seemed to deflate under their very eyes.   
"Alright, I didn't know you have to believe me. I'd never thought it was possible . . I didn't think she was capable . . It's time I came clean." Air Chief Marshal Ford began.   
With all the evidence that they'd gathered, including the DNA samples and Air Chief Marshal Ford's statement Grace and Boyd sat down to interview Dr Maria Ford. Boyd laid all the evidence out in front of her and let her read it which she did. After she'd read it Dr Ford looked up, her face neither happy nor sad but peaceful.   
"Yes I did it and what's more I'm glad I did it." Dr Ford told them, Boyd and Grace shared a look, case closed.


	8. Chapter 8

Later that night Laura clicked the lid back on her pen and stretched. She looked at the clock, it was gone midnight, she hadn't realised that it had got that late. Yawning she tidied up the paperwork she'd been doing, she could finish that in the morning. She then collected her coat and turned off the lights expecting the only illumination to be from the light in the corridor leading to the exit. However, it wasn't, the lab light was still on. Curious Laura headed for the lab rather than the exit, who else apart from her was this crazy? When she saw who it was asleep at his desk she wasn't surprised. Ian was completely crazy, working half the night all the time, living on caffeine and cigarettes. He needed someone to look after him. She smiled he looked so peaceful, it was a pity to wake him. It was just if Boyd found out that he'd spent another night at the offices there would be hell to pay. Gently Laura shook his arm, after a moment Ian groggily sat up.   
"Where's the fire?" Ian asked, rubbing his eyes and looking every inch the sleepy little boy.   
"You were asleep at your desk I didn't want Boyd to catch you." Laura explained, Ian nodded his thanks. "Come on we can share a cab home." she suggested.   
"Ok." Ian agreed, he collected his coat leaving his reports strewn across the desk as they were. Without stopping even to pick up the stray sheet which had fallen on the floor they left.   
"Where do you live?" Ian asked just as Laura hailed a taxi with an impressive whistle.   
"Dartford. You?" Laura replied as the taxi drew up. Ian winced.   
"Westminster. Other side of the city. Don't worry I'll catch the next one." Ian told her.   
"Don't be silly it's the middle of the night. We're lucky we got this one." Laura said firmly, Ian tired as he was couldn't be bothered to argue and got in.   
"Where too?" the driver asked turning round.   
"Westminster." Laura told him, "Dartford." Ian said simultaneously, the drive looked at them patiently.   
"Which?" he asked again.   
"Dartford." Ian told him, "Westminster." Laura said simultaneously, laughing they looked at each other.   
"Well I don't think you can spend another day in those clothes. Westminster." Laura told the driver firmly, Ian looked at her smiling, he definitely wasn't going to argue with that. 

_The End_


End file.
